


Break the Mold

by 1_NoName_among_many



Series: Half a King, at Best [5]
Category: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Genre: A crash is threatened, Aeroplanes, Ahem:, Airplanes, Apparently Philip is projecting?, Bortherly Angst, Brotherly Bonding, But it can be very annoying when you want to edit the tags!, Family Angst, Feelings, Gen, I hate this tag system, I named him Bruno, Philip's Equerry is finally a charater!, That's a lie, Who knew!, but does not actually occur, i don't know why, i love it, no beta we die like men!, or should i say
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:40:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24547765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1_NoName_among_many/pseuds/1_NoName_among_many
Summary: Philip and Henry share a flight, and some feelings.
Relationships: Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor & Philip Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor
Series: Half a King, at Best [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1664290
Comments: 2
Kudos: 40





	1. Chapter 1

"So how's your mother doing?"  
"She's doing fine now that she's queen. Sorry you couldn't be there for the Coronation."  
"Oh please, I would probably have burst into flames the minute I stepped into Westminster Abbey."  
"Oh I hope not. We still have to be married."  
"I wasn't afraid of God smiting me. I was afraid of George III. Or whoever's sanctifying these coronations."  
"That would be God. We are technically a theocracy, after all."  
"Ugh, no wonder the First Amendment exists."  
"I know, Alex. Love you."  
"Love you back, baby. See you soon!"  
"See you."  
Henry finally hung up the phone. With his mother safely on tour and Philip and Mazzy ensconced in power, Henry finally had the time to check on his shelters. Starting with the one in New York.  
"You know, I never understood what was wrong with the old one."  
Oh, right. Philip was here.  
"Why are you flying with me again?" Henry asked.  
"Because you're going home, and I have appointments with American states-persons, and it's cheaper if we fly together."  
"But isn't it traditional for the heirs to the throne to take different cars, or trains, or what not?"  
"Really, Henry, you of all people arguing _in favor_ of tradition?"  
Henry sighed. "I really set that one up, didn't I?"  
"Straight down the crease."  
Philip returned to his work. He brought the red case with him and was sorting through all the boring paperwork of statecraft.  
Henry looked out his window. Then he looked at the time. "Philip, is it dark out on your side of the plane?"  
"What?" Philip opened his own window. Dark clouds had amassed outside there as well. "Oh dear." Philip calmly, but quickly, stacked his paperwork into the red case, then shut and locked it before stuffing the case under his seat. He then buckled in while advising Henry to do the same.  
"What's wrong?" Henry asked, doing as he was bade.  
A jolt of turbulence came as the response, followed by the appearance of the seat belt sign.  
Philip corroborated: "We seem to have flown into a storm."  
"Don't pilots normally fly around those?"  
"Sometimes they form around you."  
And then a deafening crack.  
"Augh, what was that?" Henry yelled, ears ringing.  
"A planestrike, if I were to guess."  
"A _what_?"  
"A lightning strike to the plane. Don't worry, we're safe, the fuselage acts like a Faraday cage. Bruno, could you go to the cockpit and ask what's going on. Use my name if you have to."  
"Yes boss." Philip's equerry unbuckled and went up to the cockpit.  
"If we don't have to worry about the lightning, then why is Bruno bothering the pilot?"  
"Because there might be hail that could break something, and subzero temperatures that could cause icing, and gale force winds that could stall the plane."  
"Well, aren't you a ball of sunshine."  
"Sorry."  
Bruno came back and buckled himself in.  
"Your Highness, it seems that the storm did indeed form around us, and while the planestrike didn't harm the plane, it did short out the radio antenna."  
"Wonderful. Henry, please put that phone in aeroplane mode. Or else turn it off. We don't want it interfering with the radar."  
"Yeah, yeah."  
Another jolt of turbulence.  
The flight attendant ran out. "Excuse me, Your Highness, but the pilot would like the services of your equerry."  
"Bruno, follow Sherry."  
"Yes boss."  
Philip followed after them both.  
Henry turned to his own equerry. "What was that about?"  
"I don't know, Henry," Shaan answered.  
Another planestrike.  
Philip and Sherry ran back from the cockpit, carrying the unconscious copilot.  
"Dear god, what happened?" Henry asked.  
"Idiot forgot to strap himself back in after Bruno questioned him. Thank you Sherry, you may return to your seat. And strap in."  
"Yes sir."  
"Shaan, do you know fist aid?" Philip asked, as he strapped the copilot into his own seat. The bloody gash on the poor copilot's head became visible.  
"Yes, Your Highness." Shaan was already unbuckled and digging out a first aid kit.  
"Good, take Bruno's seat. Don't forget to buckle in. _Before_ you start administering."  
"Yes sir."  
Philip, meanwhile, took Shaan's spot next to Henry.  
"Is he going to be alright?" Henry asked.  
"Do you have any reason to doubt Shaan's abilities?"  
"No."  
"Then yes. Provided we all make it out of this storm."  
"Again, just a ball of sunshine."  
"You can't blame me for being a realist."  
Henry sighed. "What did the planestrike take out his time?"  
"The radar antenna. Fortunately, there's a compass on board. We'll be flying due west until we see land. Or run out of fuel, whichever comes first."  
"I take that back. You're a regular barrel of laughs."  
"Henry, we need to be prepared for the worst. I know it's not my most endearing character trait, but it's what I know best."  
Henry sighed and looked out the window. It was dark as midnight out there, despite being closer to noon. The occasional bolt of lightning didn't help. "Why is Bruno in the cockpit?"  
"He was my wingman in the service. He knows how to fly. He and I also used to take the planes for joyrides when we were younger."  
"You?" Henry was astonished. " _You_ used to do things for _fun_?"  
Philip waved it off. "Dad was still around, and we had just gotten our pilots licences, and..." He trailed off in a sigh. "You had your books and stars, and Bea had her music, but I had aeroplanes. It's why I joined the RAF. That and I was too short for the Army."  
Henry stifled a laugh. "Sorry, I shouldn't laugh."  
"Of course not, we wouldn't want to accuse you of heightism."  
"Hey, now, some of my best friends are short!"  
"Oh yes, Alexander. He's what, five nine?"  
"Five eight."  
"Still taller than me."  
"What are you talking about, you're five nine."  
"In heels." Philip pointed to the footwear in question.  
"Oh yeah. Gran's little gift. I'm surprised you're still wearing them."  
"I'm used to them. Besides, commoners have this weird hangup about short world leaders."  
"And who told you that?"  
"Mazzy actually. It's one of the few things she and the Duchess of Windsor can agree on."  
There was a lull in the conversation.  
Shaan interrupted. "Okay, I've stopped the bleeding. He should be okay."  
"Is he awake yet?" Philip asked.  
"No, but his vitals are stable. It's only a matter of time."  
"Good." Philip took out his phone. A sturdy old Nokia that never needed replacing.  
"I though we had to turn those off?"  
"I said aeroplane mode. Which this is in. I'm recording a message for Mazzy and the twins. Now hush."  
Philip began:  
"Hey Mazzy. It's Pippy. If you're hearing this, the worst has happened. I'm sorry. And I love you, so much. And I love the twins. Make sure they know that. And make sure they know that this wasn't my choice. I know what it's like to lose a father. It took me a long time to internalize that it wasn't his fault, and I still slip up. And make sure Mum and Bea know that I love them too. And yes, Percy and Alexander too. I'd tell you to tell Henry, but he's, ah, right here. As for the Duchess, tell her to b-gg-r off. I love you Mazzy. So much."  
Philip finished. "Your turn."  
"What?" Henry asked.  
"Your turn." Philip handed Henry his phone. "I know you just finished a call with Alexander, but it wouldn't hurt to have one last message."  
"Alright, fine."  
Henry began:  
"Hey Alex. It's Henry. If your hearing this, I guess the plane went down. I'm sorry. I know it's not my fault, but it felt like the right thing to stay. I love you. I love you so much. I'd get into details, but Philip's kinda right next to me--"  
"Don't blame me for this!"  
"Hush Philip! Anyway, make sure the others know I love them too, June and Nora and Bea and Pez. And Mum, too. And Mazzy and the twins. Especially the twins. And your parents, all three of them. And Cash and Amy and Zahra. And, yes, find a way to tell Gran I love her too. I was going to make some snide comment about how it's the perfect spite, but, honestly, even through all the hate, I do love her. I'm sorry we didn't get to see each other. I love you."  
Henry finished. He returned the phone to his brother. "I love you too, by the way."  
Philip cleared his throat. "Thanks. Shaan, would you like to send a message to Zahra?"  
"Yes sir, thank you sir."  
Shaan began:  
"Hey Zahra, It's Shaan. I love you. Make sure Alex doesn't throw himself into the ocean over this. And tell Amy and Cash I said hi. I love you."  
Shaan finished.  
"Is that it?" Henry asked.  
"Zahra knows me. Besides, someone has to keep the drama queen you call a boyfriend from overreacting."  
"Shaan!"  
"He has a point, Henry," Philip cut in.  
Henry sighed in defeat.  
Then the pit of his stomach dropped out from under him. He let out a rather unmanly scream. "WE'RE FALLING! WE'RE FALLING!"  
"It's alright Henry!" Philip grabbed onto his brother. "It's just a stall! Bruno and I trained for this in the RAF, and the pilot had his license recently renewed. We'll pull up in a few seconds. 3,2,1, there see."  
The plane did, in fact, stop free falling when Philip reached 1.  
Henry was almost hyperventilating. "Dear lord, how the f-ck are you so calm!"  
"RAF. I know the procedures for getting out of a stall, and Bruno does to. We go over them before every flight."  
"Just in case?"  
"Just in case."  
Henry groaned and moaned as he caught his breath.  
Then a thought struck him. "Why do you hate Gran so much?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"Your dying message. You told Mazzy to tell her to b-gg-r off. And then there's the fact that you insist Gran isn't part of the family. Why is that?"  
Philip closed in on himself again. "It's safer than hating myself."  
"What?"  
"I hurt you!" Philip burst out, almost yelling. "I didn't just sit there while Her Bloody Majesty flogged you to the brink of death, I took my turns at the whip myself! And it's not just you! I hurt Bea and Mum and Mazzy and everyone I work for. I let her use me as the cudgel to beat our nation and our family into the shape she wanted. She told me I was doing the right thing, she told me I was doing God's work, she told me I was serving my nation to the best of my ability, and worst of all, _I believed every bloody, stupid, lying word of it!_ I believed her!  
"I will never forgive myself for the torment I put you through. And until I can process my anger in a way that doesn't involve hurting people and breaking things, I will funnel it into hating the b-tch who made it possible."  
Henry was shocked. "Philip, I-- have you told anyone else about this?"  
"No, there hasn't been a reason to. It's just the way life works."  
"No, Pip, it isn't," Henry retorted. "Normal people don't hate themselves. Or so I've been told. And even I have never dreamed of hurting myself. This isn't going to go away on its own."  
"It has before. I've always had big emotions. And I've always locked them away. It's the right thing to do."  
"And who told you that?" Henry asked.  
Philip's eyes widened in realization. "Oh f-ck."  
"I thought so. When we land, we're skyping Theresa."  
"If we land." Philip rolled his eyes. He caught a glimpse out Henry's window. 

The clouds had parted. The rest of the flight was uneventful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the copilot survives. Yes, Philip skypes with Theresa. Yes, he tells her how big his emotions are. 
> 
> And yes, Alex does throw himself into the ocean, but he and Henry were going to the beach that day and it isn't tragic or dramatic at all. It's a little funny actually, and-- you know what, that's a story for another time. Suffice to say everyone lives.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The surprise second chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why was Philip on that plane? To visit the Library of Congress. Why was he visiting the Library of Congress? Read on. (They're in one of the private reading rooms, by the way.)

"Boss? Mr. Claremont-Diaz is here to see you."  
For once, Philip wasn't annoyed at the intrusion. "Oh good! Do let him in, Bruno."  
"Very well." Philip's equerry turned to Alex. "You may enter, Mr. Claremont-Diaz."  
"Thanks. And please, Bruno, call me Alex."  
"Not until you marry Prince Henry," the equerry replied, deferent even in his casual tone. "And even then it will be Prince Alex." Bruno returned to his post outside the door of the reading room.  
Alex closed the door behind him. "Sheesh, what's with him?"  
"He's _my_ equerry, what do you expect?" Philip answered.  
"Fair point."  
"So why are you here?"  
Alex diverted his gaze. "Well, for starters, I wanted to apologize for getting snippy at you at the airport," he started. "Henry told me about your heart-to-heart during the storm."  
"No apology necessary," the prince replied. "After everything I put you two through, I deserve all the snip you can dish out, and then some."  
"See, that's another thing. Your..." Alex struggled to find the right word, "attitude about this is really disconcerting. You've talked to your therapist about it right?"  
"Yes, Theresa and I have discussed it." Philip rolled his eyes as he let out a rather exasperated sigh. "I have a feeling it will be the main topic for the next few months at least."  
"Good, good."  
"Why else are you here?"  
"Well, after we discussed you," Alex began, "Henry and I started talking about our wedding, and then I remembered America doesn't really like royalty in it's government, so I decided to drive down here to look some stuff up."  
"I see."  
"So imagine my surprise when I got here and asked the librarian for everything they've got about Americans marrying foreign royalty and was told I was the second person to ask that today."  
"Truly a shock, no doubt."  
"It was nothing compared to the shock I got when she told me it was you."  
"Indubitably."  
"So why are you here? Don't you have a country to run? And couldn't you have done this from the online collection?"  
"Couldn't you?"  
"Touche," Alex conceded. "But I've got family in the area. What's your excuse?"  
"I wanted to corroborate what I've read here with some expert opinions. When I'm done with my reading, I'll talk to some Congresspersons, maybe a few judges, your mother if I can get her."  
"Uh-huh. You'd get a better bet with some senators."  
"Aren't senators Congresspersons?"  
"No, just representatives," Alex said. "And yes, it annoys me too."  
"Anyway, we're getting off track." Philip shoved a stack of books between him and Alex. "I've been perusing all the legislation and case law that would be relevant to your marriage with Henry - at least the ones regarding the royal aspect of it - and I think I understand the problem."  
"Oh?"  
"There is no actual law dictating that Americans lose there citizenship upon marrying foreign nobility, although there was some arm-flailing over the matter back during the Napoleonic years."  
"That's good."  
"As for the titles and other privileges you would receive, the exact wording suggests that Congress would be okay with it if they had ample time to consider the 'emolument', as it is called."  
"I see." Alex perused the stack of books. "Article 1, section 9, right?"  
"That sounds about right. And the case law, what little there is, seems to back that assessment up. Although I got distracted by all the amusing anecdotes regarding your judges' use of the 'Honor' style."  
"Amateurs!"  
"I know right! If you want an appeal, find a flaw in the argument! Don't try to apply a law that isn't even on the books to a situation it doesn't apply to!"  
"So, what, does this mean I can't marry Henry until after I'm in Congress?" Alex asked. "And even then, I have to drag them into the ceremony?"  
"Not necessarily," Philip replied. "You see, the granting of a title isn't automatic with the marriage. My grandfather, for instance. He only had his own title until his wife ascended to the throne. Then she decreed he was Prince Consort, following Victoria and Albert's example."  
"I see."  
"More relevantly, there's the example of my Dad." Philip handed Alex small binder. "As you may or may not know, the Duchess of Windsor, during her time as Sovereign, forbid my parents' marriage."  
Alex took the binder. "Henry told me about that. And how they went ahead and got married anyway."  
"It wasn't as simple as that. If the Sovereign doesn't approve of the marriage, it legally never happened. The children are naturally dead, meaning they are barred from inheritance."  
"Then how are you and Henry in line for the throne?"  
"The Royal Marriage Compromise 1993." Philip tapped the binder. "Long title: An Act to allow Her Royal Highness Catherine, Princess Royal, to marry Arthur Fox and allow for the inheritance of their issue. Now, you don't have the same issues my parents had, but the relevant clause--" Philip opened the binder and riffled the pages until he found the bit he highlighted, "is here."  
Alex read aloud: "Although any children the Princess Royal bears by the efforts of Mr. Fox will not be naturally dead, neither he (Mr. Fox) nor they (the children born) shall bear a royal title unless and until the Sovereign decrees otherwise." Alex but the binder down. "And how does this help me?"  
"With this precedent, it will be child's play to get Parliament to agree to that clause with regards to you and Henry," Philip declared. "Then, after that is said and done, Mum makes a public announcement saying she will not stand in the way of your career by granting you a title, until such time as you are ready to receive it. Then you have your fun in Congress, change the world, maybe even run for president, and, if all goes well, retire with your husband as the Duke Consort of Cambridge. If you still want it, of course. Or ever want it. Do you want it?"  
"I mean, it would be nice. Especially since Henry doesn't have to sacrifice anything for my sake."  
"Exactly. And neither you for his."  
"You'd really go to all this trouble?"  
"My family gets my loyalty," Philip said. "At whatever cost to me." He sighed. "Besides, after the wringer I and the duchess put you through, it's the least I could do."  
Alex sighed in disgust. "OK, Philip, stop! This isn't healthy. You can't keep beating yourself up over this, not the least of which because _you're still making this about you_."  
"I- my God, you're right." Philip slumped over the desk and grabbed his temples. "Augh, I'm such an- no, no that's still about me. Augh. I mean well, really I do, but it's so hard for me to get out of my head sometimes. I'm just so, naive and stubborn and self-centered that it's child's play to lead me by the nose. It's how the Duchess of Windsor twisted me around so much, and then there's all the--"  
"Philip!"  
"Sorry."  
Alex sighed. "How much longer do you have this room for?"  
Philip checked his watch. "About five minutes."  
"I'll get you an extension. You call Theresa. And if she doesn't pick up, spew your thoughts into the voicemail. It is literally her job to listen to your thoughts and help you around them. And you definitely need her guidance right now."  
"But what will she think?"  
"That you're a patient in need," Alex stated quite firmly. "I'm not leaving until you start dialing."  
Philip started dialing.


End file.
